North Korea will achieve nothing by threats: US

Arguing that North Korea will achieve nothing by threats or provocations, the US yesterday said that Pyongyang should choose the path of peace and comply with its international obligations.

“We continue to urge the North Korean leadership to heed President Obama’s call to choose the path of peace and to come into compliance with its international obligations,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters.

“This is something that we work on consistently with our international partners. The United Nations Security Council recently took action unanimously in response to North Korean actions that were not in keeping with their international obligations and imposed further sanctions as part of that process,” Carney said.

Carney said North Korea’s bellicose rhetoric and the threats that they engage in follow a pattern designed to raise tensions and intimidate others.

North Korea, he said, will achieve nothing by these threats or provocations, which will only further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to ensure peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

Meanwhile the Pentagon said that it is taking necessary precautionary measures in view of the recent increase in threat from North Korea, while continuing to urge the North Korean leadership to comply with its international obligations.

“The facts are that the North Koreans are developing their missile capabilities in violation of international law and norms of international behaviour. They need to stop,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters.

The US and South Korea, he said are moving forward to take new steps on a combined command and control structure for their alliance.

The counter-provocation plan serves as a representation of the continued development of strategic, operational and tactical cooperation, Little added.

“It improves our combined readiness posture and allows immediate and decisive response to any North Korean provocation,” he said.

“It’s very important that we do everything we can to stabilize the peninsula and not take rhetoric to where it shouldn’t go. And that’s what the North Koreans are doing right now, and that should cease,” Little said in response to a question.

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